August 9, 2001

Study Shows Therapeutic Benefits, No Adverse Effects in Long-Term
Marijuana Users

        Missoula, MT:  A battery of medical tests on a cohort of
chronic, legal medical marijuana smokers reveals no significant physical
or cognitive impairment attributable to marijuana, according to
preliminary results of a recent study.  All four patients examined in
the study are participants in the FDA/NIDA (National Institute on Drug
Abuse) Compassionate Investigational New Drug (IND) program, and have
been smoking government-grown pot daily for more than a decade.
        "This data agrees with the results of other chronic use studies
performed in the 1970s in Jamaica, Costa Rica and Greece that found no
significant attributable health problems in cannabis smokers.  However,
this study is the first of its kind to examine chronic cannabis usage in
medical patients using a consistent source of medicine of known
potency," said Dr. Ethan Russo, who headed the study.
        Russo did observe "mild changes in pulmonary function" in three
of the four patients, but noted these changes weren't significant nor
was there any evidence of malignancy.  He speculated that the changes
could be at least partially due to the weak potency of government-grown
marijuana and its large content of fibrous material.
        No other tests, including MRI brain scans, chest X-rays,
neuropsychological tests, immunological assays, and EEGs showed any
significant adverse side-effects attributable to marijuana.
        In addition, the study affirmed pot's therapeutic value for a
variety of symptoms.  The results demonstrate clinical effectiveness in
these patients in treating glaucoma, chronic musculoskeletal pain, spasm
and nausea, and spasticity of multiple sclerosis, the study's authors
wrote.  They maintain that all four patients are stable with respect to
their chronic conditions, and are taking many fewer standard
pharmaceuticals than before they began using medical cannabis.
        This study is believed to be the first to examine the overall
health status of medical marijuana patients in the IND program.  That
program began distributing medical pot to patients in 1976, but was
closed to new applicants in 1992.  Seven surviving patients remain in
the program, though their health status is monitored by their individual
physicians.  Neither the FDA nor NIDA has previously published any
follow-up studies on this group of patients.
        The study was funded in part by grants from MAPS (The
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), philanthropists
John Gilmore and Preston Parish, and the Zimmer Family Foundation.
        For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or
Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751.  Dr. Ethan
Russo may be contacted at (406) 327-3372 or via e-mail at:
Erusso@blackfoot.net.  A full report of the study will appear in the
January 2002 issue of The Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, published by
Haworth Press.

Illinois Hemp Study Nixed by Governor

        Springfield, IL:  Governor George Ryan (R) vetoed legislation
Friday that would have allowed the University of Illinois to grow
non-psychoactive hemp for research purposes.  It was the second time
this year Ryan has rejected legislation to study the economic
feasibility of hemp cultivation.
        "Ryan's recalcitrance on this issue shows he is playing politics
at the expense of Illinois farmers and deliberately misrepresenting the
facts regarding hemp's economic viability as an agricultural crop,"
NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup said.
        Ryan said he vetoed the measure, which would have allowed
privately funded research into the cultivation of hemp "varieties with a
zero level of THC," because other studies had convinced him that it's
not a financially lucrative crop.  In fact, several state-sponsored hemp
studies have drawn just the opposite conclusion.
        A 1998 study performed by The North Dakota Institute for Natural
Resources and Economic Development found that hemp could yield profits
as high as $141 per acre.  A University of Kentucky study released that
same year projected even higher returns.  It concluded that hemp farming
could yield a profit of approximately $320 per acre for fiber production
and $600 per acre for raising certified seed.
        State Sen. Evelyn Bowles (D-Edwardsville), who sponsored the
hemp-research bill, hopes to override Gov. Ryan's veto.
        For more information, please contact either Keith Stroup or Paul
Armentano of NORML at (202) 483-8751.

Health Canada to Fund Clinical Trial on Smoked Cannabis and Pain

        Ottawa, Ontario:  Health Canada has agreed to fund one of the
first ever peer-reviewed clinical trials on the effectiveness of smoked
marijuana at treating symptoms of neuropathic pain (pain from nerve
damage).  The study will examine the therapeutic effects of marijuana on
32 patients who are unresponsive to standard treatment methods over a
four-week period in an outpatient setting.
        The McGill Pain Centre in Montreal will oversee the research.
        According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH),
cannabinoids hold great potential in the treatment of neuropathic pain.
"Neuropathic pain represents a treatment problem for which currently
available analgesics are, at best, marginally effective," a 1997 NIH
report found.  "Since [cannabinoids are] not acting by the same
mechanism as either opioids or NSAIDS [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs], they may be useful in this inadequately treated type of pain."
        For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or
Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751.

August 15, 2001

World's Largest Marijuana Legalization Rally to Be Held This Weekend in Seattle
        Seattle, WA:  More than 100,000 people are expected to attend
this year's Seattle Hempfest, taking place this Saturday and Sunday at
Myrtle Edwards Park.  The two-day event will feature more than 70
speakers, 50 bands, DJs and a special hemp expo.  This weekend's
gathering is expected to be the largest pot legalization rally in
history.
        "We are demanding that patients get their medical marijuana,
that American farmers be allowed to produce [hemp,] and that humans not
suffer the indignity and immeasurable injustices that we have endured
for our love of one of our Earth's finest creations - the cannabis
plant," says Hempfest director Vivian McPeak.
        NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup calls the event "a
wonderful celebration and a powerful call for an end to prohibition."
Both Stroup and NORML Foundation head Allen St. Pierre are among the
list of prominent speakers at this year's gathering. Other speakers
include:

Vincent Bugliosi - author, former federal prosecutor
Sandee Burbank - Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse
Nora Callahan - November Coalition
Tommy Chong - comedian
Chris Conrad - author, Hemp: Lifeline to the Future
Stephen Dillon - Indiana NORML
Dale Gieringer - California NORML
Debbie Goldsberry - Cannabis Action Network
Jack Herer - author, The Emperor Wears No Clothes
Norm Kent - NORML Board of Directors
Nancy Lord Johnson - NORML Board of Directors
Ann McCormick - Compassionate Moms
Mikki Norris - author, Shattered Lives
Dennis Peron - founder, SF Cannabis Buyers' Club
Krist Novoselic - musician, JAMPAC
John Sajo - Voter power
Kevin Zeese - Common Sense for Drug Policy
        For a complete listing of speakers and performers, please visit:
http://www.seattlehempfest.com. For more information, please call (206)
781-5734.

Bush Administration Contemplates Easing Ban on Student Aid For Marijuana
Offenders

        Washington, DC:  Department of Education (DOE) officials are
preparing to reinterpret a 1998 law that threatens to bar federal loans
to an estimated 34,000 students convicted of marijuana possession or
other drug offenses, according to a report in Tuesday's Chronicle of
Higher Education.
        The article states that the Bush administration is expected to
issue new regulations limiting the ban to include only those students
convicted of drug charges while receiving financial aid. Under the law's
present interpretation, financial aid applicants who have ever been
convicted of a drug offense, including the misdemeanor possession of
marijuana, are not eligible to receive federal grants, loans or work
assistance.  No other criminal convictions - including violent offenses
- automatically disqualify applicants from student aid eligibility.
        According to a source quoted in yesterday's CHE, Congressman
Mark Souder (R-Ind.), author of the 1998 amendment, and high-level DOE
officials are close to an agreement that would reinterpret the law so
that it will no longer be applied retroactively.
        NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup said that new
regulations would provide some relief to the thousands of convicted
marijuana offenders currently affected by the ban, but will still
unfairly deny access to college to thousands of students each year.
Stroup said that a far better alternative would be for Congress to
approve House Bill 786 repealing the ban.
        The Associated Press reported in July that as many as 34,000
students could be denied financial aid this coming school year because
of prior drug convictions.  Last year, the DOE withheld aid from 8,100
students. For more information, please contact Kris Krane of NORML at
(202) 483-5500.

Marijuana Extracts for Pain Study To Begin in Canada

        Ottawa, Ontario:  An English pharmaceutical company specializing
in medicinal cannabis extracts has received permission to study the
effects of a marijuana spray on chronic pain patients in Canada.  The
upcoming randomized, double-blind study will be the first trial of its
kind in Canada.
        "The start of clinical trials in Canada is the first phase of
our international trials program," said Dr. Geoffrey Guy, chairman of GW
Pharmaceuticals in London.  "The Canadian health authorities have
recognized the potential contribution of cannabis-based medicines in the
treatment of many different conditions."
        Patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injury
and other forms of chronic pain will participate in the study, which
will be performed at The Rehabilitation Centre in Ottawa.
        Results of a previous U.K. trial of 75 patients found that
marijuana extracts administered under the tongue greatly reduced pain,
muscle spasms and bladder dysfunction in patients with MS.
        Since June, Health Canada has appropriated more than a million
dollars to fund medicinal cannabis research, including an $840,000 grant
to study the efficacy of smoked marijuana in the treatment of the AIDS
wasting syndrome.
        For more information, please contact either Paul Armentano or
Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751.

August 23, 2001

Jamaica Commission Recommends Decriminalizing Marijuana

        Kingstown, Jamaica:  Following months of public and private
hearings across the island, the official government appointed National
Commission on Ganja has recommended that Jamaica decriminalize the
private use of ganja (marijuana) by adults and the sacramental use for
religious purposes.  "Marijuana's reputation among the people as a
panacea and a spiritually enhancing substance is so strong that it must
be regarded as culturally entrenched," said the commission's report.
        Prime Minister P.J. Patterson established the governmental
commission nine months ago, appointing the dean of social sciences at
Kingston's University of the West Indies, Professor Barry Chevannes, to
head the seven-member commission.
        Between 20 and 40 percent of the country's 2.6 million people
are believed to smoke marijuana, many openly. Indian indentured servants
are thought to have brought marijuana to Jamaica in the 19th century.
Its use as a medicinal herb spread rapidly among plantation workers,
with some using ganja tea to alleviate aches, and others using
rum-soaked marijuana as remedy for coughs and fevers.  But it was not
until the 1960s and 1970s, with the emergence of Bob Marley and other
reggae bands, that marijuana began to gain acceptance outside poor
neighborhoods.
        Not all observers were satisfied with the commission's
recommendations.  "Ganja offenses have clogged up the court system for
years and diverted the police from the real problems, which are crack
and cocaine," said Paul Burke, a high-ranking member of the ruling
People's National Party.  "It (the commission's report) is a welcome
step," Burke added," but it is far short for a country where thousands
of people use ganja. It's part of the culture."
        Any change in existing law would have to be approved by
Parliament.  An aide to the Prime Minister said that while few elected
officials have yet to comment on the report, "My gut feeling is that the
commission's recommendation will be followed."
        To no one's surprise, a U.S. Embassy spokesman issued a
statement saying "The U.S. opposes the decriminalization of marijuana."
        For more information, please contact Jamaica NORML Director Paul
Chang, or NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre at
202-483-8751.

DEA Head Says Feds to Enforce Laws Against Medical Users

        Washington, DC:  Newly installed DEA Administrator Asa
Hutchinson, a three-term Congressman from Arkansas and a former federal
prosecutor, speaking to reporters on his first day on the job, said the
federal government would "send the right signal" by striving to enforce
the federal ban on the medical use of marijuana.  "Currently, it's a
violation of federal law," Hutchinson told reporters.  "You're not going
to tolerate a violation of the law.  The question is how you address
that from an enforcement standpoint."
        Ignoring the findings of the Institute of Medicine's March 1999
report entitled Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base,
Hutchinson said the scientific and medical communities had thus far
found no legitimate use for marijuana.
        For more information, please contact the NORML Foundation's
Allen St. Pierre at 202-483-8751.

Woody Harrelson Surprise Speaker at Seattle Hempfest; 150,000 Protest
Marijuana Prohibition

        Seattle, WA:  The Seattle Hempfest, the world's largest
marijuana legalization rally, was a smashing success again this year,
with actor and hemp activist Woody Harrelson a surprise featured
speaker.  A total crowd estimated at 150,000 attended the 2-day event,
held on Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19, 2001.
        Harrelson, who took the main stage to speak at 4:20 pm on Sunday
to chants from the crowd of "Woody, Woody," began by acknowledging the
cultural significance of the time.  "It's now officially 4:20," he said.
"If you folks need to do something now, just go ahead."  He added, "I
recently decided to stop smoking."  When the groans from the crowd
subsided, he finished by adding, "but I thought more about it and
decided I didn't want to be a quitter!"
        Harrelson, who has long advocated the use of industrial hemp,
more recently has broadened his goals to include an end to marijuana
prohibition altogether.
        For more information and details regarding the 2001 Seattle
Hempfest, including a collection of photos, visit their web site at
www.seattlehempfest.com.

NORML Benefit Party Scheduled for Tiburon, CA

        Tiburon, CA:  The third annual NORML Tiburon benefit party will
be held on Saturday evening, October 13, at 6:30 PM at a private home
atop Ring Mountain in Tiburon, CA.  This event is co-chaired by Richard
Louis Miller, Ph.D., our host for the evening, and Marsha Rosenbaum,
Ph.D., the west coast director of the Lindesmith Center - Drug Policy
Foundation.
        The official host committee for this event includes San
Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan; spiritualist Ram Dass;
recently released marijuana prisoner (originally sentenced to 93 years)
Will Foster; marijuana prisoner Todd McCormick (in absentia); state
Senator John Vasconcellos; and criminal defense attorneys Michael
Stepanian and Tony Serra, among many luminaries.
        "We look forward to this event each year," said NORML's Keith
Stroup.  "Please join us for an evening of good fun, good food, and good
fellowship, and learn about NORML's plans for the year ahead in
California and beyond."
        Attendees are asked to make a minimum $100 contribution.  There
will also be a silent art auction. Proceeds will be used to continue and
expand NORML's program in California.
        Individuals can register for the benefit party online at
www.norml.org.  For additional information, please contact Kris Krane of
NORML at 202-483-5500.